Sticks used to tell fortune.

We got to Kunming late due to delays.  Needless to say, most of us were quite ready to get off that train.  it took us a bit to find our van and manuever through the city.  Kunming has grown exponentially in the past few years and because of that the roads are often jammed.  We found our hostel (Lost Garden), got our rooms and then went to Kai’s favorite restaurant in China.  There they served us traditional Yunnan foods (“old woman potatoes”, “cumin beef and veggies”, “fried goat cheese and spices”, etc.).  We also sampled a few of their tonic medicinal wines.  Some had herbs in them like red dates and goji berries.  Others had bees or snakes.  All of them were strong!  Later, some of us wanted to go dancing (because of the wine?), and some of us wanted to get massages (because of the delayed train?).

The next day was a free day.  Several of us went for breakfast at a local place famous for “over the bridge” noodles.  From what I understand, They place boiling water in a bowl and a layer of cooking oil on top of the water.  The bowl is brought to the table along with a large plate of “fixings” like, meet, quail eggs, veggies, and noodles.  As you put the ingredients in the bowl, they cook because the oil has preserved the heat of the water.  It was delicious and very fresh.  Next door to the restaurant was a zoo.  Our tai chi teacher holds regular class there and though we were scheduled to meet him the next day, some of us were anxious to meet him.  We found him and observed his class, excited to start learning the form.

By this time most of us had split into small groups and started exploring the rest of the city.  There is a beautiful Buddhist monastery and temple in Kunming.  And in front of the temple were several palm readers and fortune tellers.  One of them in particular caught our attention.  As we were getting our fortunes read, we attracted quite a crowd.  It could have been the fact that a group of Americans were there, most likely though it was the animated, entertaining and astute skills of the older man.

Tomorrow we travel to the retreat center.  Urban China has been incredible and we are itching to get into more rural areas.

Reading our fortune

Our last day in Chengdu has been my favorite of the whole trip so far. Kai had run into a Taoist student on the street the day before who had invited us to the local temple.

He wanted to introduce us to his teacher. It turns out that the temple he studies at is a famous Taoist temple called the Green Ram Temple. We arrived around 9am and as soon as we entered the mood of the group shifted. Maybe it was the palpable feeling of such a strong lineage; maybe it was the sacred feeling burning incense creates; maybe it was the sudden and complete change in environment from bustling city to serene solitude… it was and incredible experience. After exploring for a bit, Kai gathered us together to practice a five element qigong form. Within the compounds of the temple, there was a courtyard dedicated to practicing martial arts. We gathered quite a crowd. Some even joined us.There were student there who had brought their own staffs, swords and fans and after we showed them what we had learned at Wudang, they were anxious to share with us their form. I’m blown away by how eager the Chinese people are to share their culture with us.

Once we practice our qigong and kungfu, we met up with the Taoist teacher. We gathered around the teacher and Kai translated our questions to him and his answers to us. There were some golden lessons. “In your view, what are the important practices of Taoism?” He answered, “I believe their are two important practices in life: Good Nutrition and Good Sleep. If you follow the natural flow of the earth when eating and sleeping, you will nourish your life.” … Simple, profound, perfect.

We asked him questions for a good hour and found out that he is part of the same sect of Taoism as our kungfu teachers from Wudang. Small world!! After learning, our teacher was gracious enough to demonstrate his tai chi. We were invited to eat with him at the temple which has a vegetarian restaurant. So much good food, such good memories. Today was special for me.

We rushed back to the hotel, packed, checked out and left for the train station. Now we’re off to Yunnan. Another overnight train. No doubt we will have an adventure.

Ascending the Wudang Mountain.

The WuDang Mountain was a metaphor for life.  It had me thinking about a rap
to omit all this strife,
as we ascend the mountain,
moving up the track,
I compare it to beauty expanding,
One must pay attention,
To slip can break your back
All life is Joy.
As you take it in full intention
Oh!  experiencing it with other great bodies
don’t let me forget to mention
I love this Wudang Experience
Even the herbs
from medical doctors
can take you to another dimension

The more these times unfold
with the friends that i have met
I am inspired to touch many more bodies
for the next trip I will get

Those who read this blog on the site
can join me in Wudang
remember take the next flight.

- Dr. D

In our hotel in Wudang, there was a ping pong table. I started playing, and the staff and local people wanted to challenge me. This is there game, and so they felt pretty confident. Over and over again, I kept beating them and they were amazed. After awhile, no one would want to play me anymore, We had a lot of fun laughing and playing ping pong.

I am having a great time, and am so thankful for this trip. I believe our relationships are getting stronger and we will be best friends for the rest of our lives. I don’t know how to express the friendships I am making. There is so much to tell, I could write a book about my experience. I wish that everyone could come over to China and experience the culture. It is amazing.

Learning chinese on the train.

Watch your step!

We climbed a couple of steps onto the ancient great wall and meandered our way down to a lower turret, to a place where the guards wouldn’t find us.  We set up tents and then gathered in the center for a ceremony honoring the sacred space.  And then some of us slept (the rest of us listened to snoring).

Around 5am we awoke to The Great Wall at dawn.  The sun breaking through the mist was truly an amazing site.  We ate a small snacks and then sent out to explore on our own.  A few of us did Qigong together.  Standing on the wall, with the mountains all around us.  It was an experience I will always remember.

After we broke down camp, we gathered up our stuff, followed the same path down, and cleaned up.  Another farm fresh feast awaited us.  We gorged ourselves and then headed to the train station.  More about the train ride later…

- Jill

… away we go!!

The breadth of Feng Shui in its entirety is a life-long course of study.  It is a system filled with depth, tradition, practicality, and grace.  With this being said, attempting to wield the wisdom of Feng Shui and its tremendous wealth of information and applications, can often seem daunting to novice practitioners (me included).  We are often left thinking, where do I begin?

In any tradition of Feng Shui, the first step to implement any aspect of the practice, is to clear all clutter from one’s environment.  If this clearing of clutter does not take place, the fruits of Feng Shui practice will have no foundation from which to grow.  This seemingly mundane principle (and usually the most difficult) is the very core of Feng Shui practice.

Clearing clutter is far more than just keeping a space clean. It is a sacred and meditative practice that brings us into a state of constant mindfulness.  People often believe that keeping a space in a constant state of cleanliness, will be both daunting and tiring.  They often ask themselves, ‘how can I possibly keep an area clean all the time?’  In reality, this is a logical, thoughtful, and practical question because in the beginning, it is very hard to keep an area clean for any amount of time.

However, the larger and far more relevant question is:

Uh oh...

If you are unable to keep an environment clean, how do you intend to keep your mind clean?

If these questions are collectively weighed for any amount of time, it becomes painfully obvious that tending to an environment is a far easier task than tending to the profound depth of the human mind.  This is the beauty in Feng Shui; it gives us a very practical way to begin true meditation.

When beginning your practice of keeping your home or office free of clutter, remember that you are in essence, practicing to learn how to meditate.  You are not learning how to “clean.”  Routinely remind yourself of this as your practice evolves.  Its what allows you step outside of seeing your practice as a monotonous chore.  Know and trust that you are embarking on an artistic exploration of yourself.

The theory of yin and yang states that the interdependence of polar opposites is the basis for all balance and harmony in nature, i.e. with night there is day, with positive there is negative, with death there is birth.  By experiencing opposition, we come to understand our existence.  If we never experienced light, we would never know darkness. In addition to this, this continual dance of opposition is cyclical.  All oppositions repeat themselves; day to night, night to day, and so on.  We spend many hours in our days tending to what needs to be done, but ultimately, we must retire to bed and slumber in darkness.  To fight this cycle will only bring imbalance.

This cyclical process in nature paints a beautiful metaphor for our practice with Feng Shui.  As we grow, heal, and attend to our interior landscapes, at some point, we then must venture out into our external environments to do the same.  Moving from internal to external is as perennial as the seasons and is just as important as any other cycle in nature.  It too should be honored, nourished, and attended to.  To remain in either environment for too long will ultimately create disharmony within ourselves and in our lives.

With much practice, clearing clutter eventually becomes an easier and more organic process.  It then gives us a way to leap forward when we’ve reached plateaus in our internal/personal growth.  Again, Feng Shui is a tool, and tools are meant to be used in different capacities at different junctures.

When our minds have run ourselves ragged from the inside, it may be time to consider looking outside.  Shaping and molding one’s environment then becomes a natural extension to reshape our minds and emotional patterns.  When we can no longer be with the chatter of our minds, shifting our 3-D environment can act as a catalyst to proverbially burn the candle from the other end.  It is a natural and harmonious way to reassess and restructure our lives.

The art of Feng Shui embodies life when it has rich soil to root into.  In this case, rich soil comes from spaces free of clutter.  From here, rooting our lives becomes palpable and more importantly, possible.  Having less, minimizing, and consolidating our environments allows us to find our own Feng Shui.  Feng Shui is a self-knowing tool eager to aid us in our journeys.  But our spaces must be clear.  Then, and only then, can we begin to grow our environments and therefore, our lives.

Gray taking in the good Qi on a weekend trip...

This post was by Grayson Estrada, Nourishing Life’s Feng Shui consultant.  He will be traveling to China via hand outs and a pod cast.  It will be great to have his insight when we visit the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, two of the largest Feng Shui projects ever built.  His insight will help us tap into the Qi during our practice session on the Wild Great Wall and tour the Forbidden City’s remote areas.